Post your trip reports, travel experiences, and updates abroad. Or your expat story if you already live overseas. Note: To post photos and images, insert the image URL between the tags [img]and[/img] after uploading them to a third party site.

Wolfeye wrote:Wow, the people hear are well-traveled! Why would you guys go to Saudi Arabia? Isn't everything real strict & the "kuffir" is public enemy? I would presume a lot of times it'd be tough to get laid, since everyone involved might get their head chopped off. I definitely wouldn't go to an Arabic/muslim country now.

Speaking of which: How are the ports & airports around the world now with all that? I know there's been a lot of bullshit going on in Europe & Washington just helped out ISIS in a pretty serious way (bombing the Syrian military that's fighting ISIS). If I'm a somewhat scruffy white guy with an American passport, is that going to get me into shit anywhere in particular? I'm heading to Europe (which I figure would be okay), but I'm trying to an impression of things. The "lay of the land," so to speak.

Saudi Arabia doesn’t issue tourist visas at all. Hence, those who travel there are either business travelers, or muslims, who attend Hajj in Mecca. Although Saudia Arabia still issues transit visas for overlanders. If you persuade an embassy, you must go from Jordan to Bahrein/Qatar/Oman/Yemen overland, they can give you a visa.

Regarding passengers of Saudi Arabia Airlines, it doesn’t necessarily means, they visit Saudi Arabia itself. The airline has a bad service and long layovers, but sometimes they offer good fares to SE Asia, Africa and Middle East countries, so passengers may just transit through Saudi Arabia airports.

If you have an American passport, it won’t get you into shit just because you possess us citizenship. You can go even to North Korea, and although they might suspect you to work for intelligence, you will be fine if you have normal intentions.

From reading this thread, I see I have not experienced the worst airports.

I did have a couple of bad experiences with the airline Garuda Indonesia during the 1990's. They used to have flights through Hawaii. I think they flew from LAX to Bali via Honolulu. I flew that route twice. Once, the plane was delayed 12 hours in Bali on the way to Jakarta, after I'd flown from a state on the east coast. I was really tired already. Finally, after a 6 hour delay, they put us up on a hotel on the beach. I didn't have a swim suit either. The sun was out and it was too bright for me to sleep.

I got stuck in Bali another time like that for six hours at the airport, with no hotel. My guess is that it was expensive to fix their planes in LA or Atlanta, so maybe they hold them together with chewing gum and rubber bands until they land in Bali.

I didnt mention Air Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on a local flight inland. We sat on the plane in Dar for 2 hours in that heat and humidity. Then the announcement comes,' eh de ees a problem.' If you ask how long you get 'mehbee tomoro'.

They don't provide accommodation for you, and try find a room in Dar less than $100 per night.

On the plus side out of Dar back to SA I got upgraded to first class and got given a case of good whiskey. Driving into Dar I saw some white people on the side of a road next to a body. I didnt know it but it was the aircrew. One of them went jogging in middle of the day in that heat and humidity. Crazy. A young fit guy who keeled over with heat stroke. I stopped and asked this hysteric woman (his fiancee and a stewardess) what happened. she said she needs a hospital. I said he is dead. He was already cold, blue and stiff. I told her go to the morgue. You need a death certificate to leave the country. To my surprise I saw the same people on the plane and they were the aircrew. I asked where the woman was and she was sedated and her fiance's body was on the flight. They upgraded me and gave me a box of whiskey as a gift . Wasn't a party kind of thing, more like gratitude.

MrMan wrote:From reading this thread, I see I have not experienced the worst airports.

I did have a couple of bad experiences with the airline Garuda Indonesia during the 1990's. They used to have flights through Hawaii. I think they flew from LAX to Bali via Honolulu. I flew that route twice. Once, the plane was delayed 12 hours in Bali on the way to Jakarta, after I'd flown from a state on the east coast. I was really tired already. Finally, after a 6 hour delay, they put us up on a hotel on the beach. I didn't have a swim suit either. The sun was out and it was too bright for me to sleep.

I got stuck in Bali another time like that for six hours at the airport, with no hotel. My guess is that it was expensive to fix their planes in LA or Atlanta, so maybe they hold them together with chewing gum and rubber bands until they land in Bali.

Garuda Indonesia is still a piece of shit. Nothing changed. Despite they are the most expensive airline on domestic routes, the service if awful. Once I got stuck with them in Sorong. The flight was intended to depart at 7am, but in fact we departed at 11 pm – 16 hours delay. They neither provided an accommodation, nor they gave any food, or even water. The last scheduled flight at Sorong airport departs/arrives around 3pm, and after that all street vendors, who sell food and drinks outside, go home, and there is nowhere to buy water. What is worst, the ground staff didn’t give any truthful information. All they said, was “one hour more to wait”, and it was like that from the early morning till the late evening. I got poisoned a day before with wonderful Papuan food, so it was very pleasant day for me to spend in hot stinky airport.

Kradmelder wrote:I didnt mention Air Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on a local flight inland.

Actually, they say, the worst airlines are in Africa. Thanks god, I never experienced a one. I flew with Kenya Airways, Namibia Airways and South African Airways – all had good service, so I can’t complain. What I heard, that worst are in Western and Central Africa, such as Gabon, DRC, Chad, CAR etc– and besides worst service, they crash every now and then.

Actually, they say, the worst airlines are in Africa. Thanks god, I never experienced a one. I flew with Kenya Airways, Namibia Airways and South African Airways – all had good service, so I can’t complain. What I heard, that worst are in Western and Central Africa, such as Gabon, DRC, Chad, CAR etc– and besides worst service, they crash every now and then.

I guess mastering swinging from trees doesn't mean they can leap a few 1000 years to mastering flight. It means bypassing the invention of the wheel and the diversion and impoundment of water for agriculture, which was never developed, nor even the sail. Just dug out logs and paddles. Not even a beast of burden. If you can't master road or water travel, it well nigh impossible to master air travel.

West and central africa are the natural homeland of the negroid race, where they evolved before migrating east and south.

They have been there the longest, hence have had the most time to bugger the place up. They have only been in southern africa about 500 years and only migrated southwards enough to meet the white man in the 18th century. Consequently in the south they are still in the process of taking the place back to the bush. There is also more to destroy and pilfer as the white man is there. Give them some time. That race never fails to disappoint. They will wreck the place like they have their homeland, despite its enormous wealth.

SAA and Air Namibia will get there. SAA is in the process of collapse as they can't secure funds, lose fortunes and have been pilfered by huge black empowerment deals. SAA also had huge problems teaching darkies to fly with a very high failure yet. Bush creatures are not meant to be in the air any higher than the branches of a tree.

I don't know how many SAAF jets they have crashed now....I assume russian pilots who tried to teach them to fly MIGs will know all about the futility of such a task.

Kradmelder wrote:
I guess mastering swinging from trees doesn't mean they can leap a few 1000 years to mastering flight. It means bypassing the invention of the wheel and the diversion and impoundment of water for agriculture, which was never developed, nor even the sail. Just dug out logs and paddles. Not even a beast of burden. If you can't master road or water travel, it well nigh impossible to master air travel.

Yes, I agree, that bad service and financial losses are usually caused by mismanagement.
Regarding personnel, I think that overwhelming majority of pilots are still whites. Black stewards and stewardesses, whom I encountered with above mentioned airlines, were quite well trained. At least I don’t remember any issues with them.

Just one amusing case, when I was flying from Entebbe with Kenya Airways – the black stewards were dressed in red jackets, which were several sizes bigger, than they need. It made them look like clowns. But it is not their fault after all. That was mistake of ground staff, who didn’t care to give them proper size uniform and turned the face of the airline into mockery.

Kradmelder wrote:
I guess mastering swinging from trees doesn't mean they can leap a few 1000 years to mastering flight. It means bypassing the invention of the wheel and the diversion and impoundment of water for agriculture, which was never developed, nor even the sail. Just dug out logs and paddles. Not even a beast of burden. If you can't master road or water travel, it well nigh impossible to master air travel.

Yes, I agree, that bad service and financial losses are usually caused by mismanagement.
Regarding personnel, I think that overwhelming majority of pilots are still whites. Black stewards and stewardesses, whom I encountered with above mentioned airlines, were quite well trained. At least I don’t remember any issues with them.

Just one amusing case, when I was flying from Entebbe with Kenya Airways – the black stewards were dressed in red jackets, which were several sizes bigger, than they need. It made them look like clowns. But it is not their fault after all. That was mistake of ground staff, who didn’t care to give them proper size uniform and turned the face of the airline into mockery.

I think that overwhelming majority of pilots are still whites

That is why the southern and eastern african airlines are still flying. And the mechanics. Once you let the bush encroach then you get the lack of maintenance, crashing planes etc. I

It has gotten so bad that even president Zuma has to hire a jet to fly around rather than trust an airforce jet piloted and maintained by darkies.

Put in black pilots and people will choose another airline. They might play affirmative action games, but even blacks won't gamble their ilves on AA aircrew. Zuma will not fly with the affirmative action air force he created. He will rather rely on the white private sector.

You do not see monkeys planting banana plantations. They prefer to raid the plantations started by Boere and will strip the plantation clean if you allow more than a token few in.

A retired South African Airways (SAA) senior captain says he is alarmed by reports that the presidential jet needs to be replaced because it is unreliable.
“It alarms me. You don’t get a dud aeroplane like a Friday car‚” captain Karl Jensen said on Tuesday.
Speaking on Cape Talk radio‚ he said: “I think we should look elsewhere than just saying it is the aircraft that’s unreliable. What is causing it to be unreliable? Is it the maintenance or is it the way it is being operated?”

His comments follow a report published by Defence Web on Monday highlighting a lack of maintenance capabilities within the South African Air Force (SAAF) after support staff had been laid off. This had serious consequences for aircraft serviceability and safety - including that of the presidential jet.

They get rid of the whiteys to hire darkies in their bullshit affirmative campaigns which have no end, now their aircraft are U/S. Meanwhile the civil service has ballooned at massive salaries but can do nothing unless they hire contractors from the private sector. whiteys.

Citizen wrote:
One time, after waiting the buggers took me to a private room, made me wait and then searched me, then they made me wait again. They know who is bringing in drugs and contraband. They just wanted to mess with me. It p*ssed me off

Not every drug carrier has an inscription on his forehead, that he carries drugs.
Besides odd suspicious dudes, they have to check up random passengers to increase the chances to find forbidden stuffs and contraband. I was searched in Caracas airport, and then they directed me to x-ray, probably thinking I hide drugs in my ass. That is their job, simple as that.

Citizen wrote:
My cousin and I flew into Bali on one way tickets. Immigration refused us entry. The immigration officer demanded money to let us in. We offered him 1 USD, thought that was big money for them. Apparently it is not. He didn't think that was very funny. Think we each paid 60 USD to get through.

You are lucky, that you were allowed to board the aircraft. An airline staff must make sure, that all passengers comply with entry requirements at the airport of departure. The thing is that if you were deported, you would fly back at the expense of airline, and they would be heavily fined on top.

Kradmelder wrote:
It has gotten so bad that even president Zuma has to hire a jet to fly around rather than trust an airforce jet piloted and maintained by darkies.

Put in black pilots and people will choose another airline. They might play affirmative action games, but even blacks won't gamble their ilves on AA aircrew. Zuma will not fly with the affirmative action air force he created. He will rather rely on the white private sector.

Yes, that is really ridiculous and damn irrational to get rid of professionals first, and to use a white private sector afterwards.

Russian1860 wrote:
Yes, that is really ridiculous and damn irrational to get rid of professionals first, and to use a white private sector afterwards.

There is no rational behaviour in the ape cage. They screech and shout, and when someone opens the door and lets them run the zoo they immediately wreck the place and eat all the peanuts, then wonder if the zookeeper will somehow fix things while they continue their chimp out.

Kradmelder: "There is no rational behaviour in the ape cage. They screech and shout, and when someone opens the door and lets them run the zoo they immediately wreck the place and eat all the peanuts, then wonder if the zookeeper will somehow fix things while they continue their chimp out."

Holy shit that can be an accurate statement! That's more or less what keeps happening here- there's always a riot or something & these people f**k up THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. It's like they think any kind of conscientiousness is being a "bitch ass nigger." Shit, even using the word "conscientiousness" is grounds for that kind of labeling. Yet they think it's wrong if someone thinks they're going to act like the kind of asshole they seem to aspire to be. I get that blacks can theoretically act differently, yet look similar- but it's like there's a general "I want to be a dumb arrogant piece of shit that f***s things up for everybody & thinks he's something great for doing so."

Don't really trust the cops, though- no matter how many they kill or beat the shit out of. The cops would lock up a white man that managed to kill a pack of them that jumped on his back & even act like they felt bad about it. Damn near nothing to be trusted anymore over here.

P.S.- I remember you saying something about Nelson Mandela a while back (that he was a terrorist or something along those lines). Would you mind elaborating on that?

How are airports within Europe? Like coming & going within Europe? I'm heading out the 8th of December & was wondering about flights in those countries. I really wouldn't bother with flights in the US anymore- too f***ed-up & crazy. But a European flight? Maybe.